Collapsible shoo-fly rocker.



A. D. CONVERSE.

GOLLAPSIBLE SHOO FLY ROGKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.14, 191'2.

1,079,399. f Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

fIVnfizs(2.5: LJenor: ma Mm i: W o therltonll'onverse,

:ULUMBIA PLANUGRAPH co. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ATI-IERTON-D. CONVERSE, OF WINCH'ENDON, 'MASSACHUSETT COLLAPSIBLESI-IOO-FLY.' ROGKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

Application led March 14, 1912. Serial No. 683,873.

ers, and particularly to that class of rockers which are known `to thetrade as Shoo-fly rockers.

The object of the present invention is to` provide a rocker which willbe collapsible` and occupy very little space in transit and in storage,and which will be very rigid when put Vinto operative condition.

The present invention consists primarily in providing va collapsiblerocker consist-` ing in part of a folding sea-t .the opposite edges ofwhich are hinged or otherwisev pivotally `secured to the side frames,said seat being adapted to fold upwardly to permit the side frames to bemoved toward each other when the rocker is to be shipped or stored, andin providing the rocker with a folding back the opposite edges of whichare hinged or pivotally secured to the side frames in such position thatwhen the .back is extended the lower edge thereof will eX- tendpartially over the upper face of the seat portion and retainsaid seatportion in eX- tended position. This `.back portion is adapted to 4foldrearwardly when not in use and the lower corners of its front face yarechamfered off to permit the simultaneous folding of the back and seatportions.

The invention further consists in providing said folding seat Vand backwith a fold` ing cushion of peculiar construction, tof

gether with means for retaining said `cushion. on said back and seatrocker 1s in. use.

The invention further consists in certain novel. features ofyconstruction and arrange# ment 'of parts which will be fully understoodby reference to the description yof the drawings and to the claimshereinafter given.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 4represents a plan of a rocker embodying thefeatures of the present invention, said rocker being shown in conditionfor use. Fig. 2 represents a similar view vof the same, Ashowing therocker collapsed and in condition for :storage or shipping. Fig. *3representsan l elevation of the collapsed rocker.

portions when the Fig. 4f represents a transverse section, the cuttingplane being on line /1-4 on Fig. 1. Fig. 5 .represents an enlargedsection thro-ugh the seat and back, the cutting plane being on line m onFig. 1. Fig. 6 represents a rear View of theremovable cushion. Fig. 7represents a plan View of the saine, and Figs. V8 and .9 representrespectively `an elevation and edge view of a portion of one part of thefolding )back showing the chamfered lower corner thereof.l

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figuresof the drawings.

In the drawings, 10 represents a ,side frame which may be of any desiredshape, as for instance, the shape of a horse or other animal, asVindicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The frame `10 is composed in partof .a curved .rocker member 11 adapted to rest upon the floor and rockin the usual manner. vInterposed between the side frames 10 isa foldingseat 12 centrally divided at 13,

the two port-ions of said seat being connected together .by a long hinge14 .extending from one edge thereof -to the other. This hinge is securedto the two parts of the `seat portion 12 so that said seat .portion maybe folded upwardly about the pivot of said hinge asshown in Figs. 2 and3 ofthe drawings. The opposite edges vof said seat are pivotallyconnected to the :side frames `10 by means of hinges 15 secured to theupper face of the seat 12 and the inner face of the side frames asclearly indicated in the drawings. The seat 1.2 is also provided with aback 18 centrally divided vat 19., said back being wholly disconnectedfrom the sea-t portion 12. The two parts of the back 18 .are pi'votallysecured together by means of a long hinge 20 extending from the top tothe botto-m lthereof' :and secured to its front face -so thatsaid back`is adapted to fold rear- 10. Pivotally securedto the rear ofone part ofthe back 18 is a latch member 22 adapted to engage a projection 23secured to the rear face of the other part of Vsaid back, this ylatch 22and projection '.23 coacting to prevent the folding of the back when therocker is in use.

It is obvious that when any weight, as for instance, that `of `afchifld, nis resting v:upon 4.the

seat 12, the folding of the seat will be effectually prevented. As anadditional safe-guard to prevent the accidental folding of the seatportio-n 12, the lower edge of the back 18 extends over the upper faceof said seat 12 adjacent to its rear edge, and thereby firmly locks saidseat portion 12 in extended position and efectually prevents any upwardmovement thereof. When the seat 12 and back 18 are thus extended, andthe back 18 is locked by the latch 22, the rocker is sufficiently rigidto support any ordinary Weight.

When it is desired to ship the rocker or store it temporarily, the latch22 is moved.

about its pivot to disengage it from the hook projection 28, and theback 18 may4 then be folded rearwardly about the pivot of the hinges 20into the position shown inl Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. Simulta-`neously with the folding of the back 18 the seat 12 is folded upwardlyabout the pivotI ofthe hinge 14 into the position shown in: Figs. 2 and3, thus permitting the sidej frames to be moved toward each other asindicated in the drawings. corners of each tact with each other duringthe folding operation. This positioning of the back 18 partially overthe rear edge of the seat'por-` tion 12 so as to prevent its accidentalfolding when the rockerv is in use and giving it van increased rigiditythereby is one of the principal features of the present invention. Thisfeature of the rocker is of great importance as it gives a rigidity to acollapsible rocker which is not found in any rockthe hinges on the backand seat of the rocker making it possible by the use thereof to securethe hinges direct to the face of said back and seat where otherwise inorder to providev a smooth surface the hinges would have to be insertedinto depressions formed therein. Y

When the rocker is knocked'down or collapsed, itV occupies but verylittle space, which is of great advantage in shipping The lower frontpart of the back 18 are. chamfered 0E as indicated at 24 in order tovpermit the simultaneous folding of the' seaty A12 and back 18, thischamfer being sufH- cient to keep the two parts clear from conand alsoin storage in the factories and wholesale houses.

The device is of further advantage even after being sold, as in the homeitself it is often desired to store the rockers temporarily and byfolding the device as indicated in the drawings and described herein itmay be placed in a closet or other limited compartment and occupy a verylittle space.

Another advantage of the device is that all of the parts are permanentlysecured together, so that when the device is opened up for use no partcan be missing and prevent its being placed in operative condition.Heretofore knock-down rockers have been used to reduce the cost ofshipping and the expense of storage, but when it is necessary to put therocker on sale and exhibit the same, considerable work has to beperformed to place it in operation, and oftentimes some of thedisconnected parts are found to be missing, which makes the use of theseknock-down rockers objectionable. In applicants construction all ofthese objections have been fully overcome.

It is believed that the operation and many advantages of the inventionwill be fully understood from the foregoing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of two sidemembers; a divided seat hinged together and to said side members at itsends and adapted to co1- lapse upwardly to permit said members to bemoved toward each other; and a divided back hinged together and at itsends to said side members so as to collapse rearwardly and normallyextending over said divided seat retaining it in its normal extendedposition.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of two sidemembers; a divided seat hinged together and to said side members at itsends and adapted to collapse upwardly to permit said members to be movedtoward each other; a divided back hinged together and at its ends tosaid side members so as to collapse rearwardly and normally extendingover said divided seat retaining it in its normal extended position,said divided back having the lower front corners of each of its verticalends chamfered oli' to permit the upward' collapse of the divided seatas soon as the divided back commences to collapse rearwardly.

Signed by me at Winchendon, Massachusetts this eleventh day of March,1912.

ATHERTON D. CONVERSE.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR F. EVANS, HAZEL A. BETTERLEY.

' Copesrof this patent may be obtained for ve centseach, by addressing'Vthe Commissioner of IPatents,

Washington, D. C.

